Sacrifice (The Snow Queen #2)(55)

The soldiers shouted and tried to charge, but Rakel froze over their weapons—making them too cold to hold. Their hands formed clawed shapes—and ached with the unbearable temperature, probably—and they turned to dart up an alley, running straight into Bunny and Tollak. The men screamed, Bunny roared in her snow bear form, and Tollak chuckled.

“Good show!” Tollak said.

“I must say, battle is certainly nothing I would wish upon any person or country, but there is something satisfying about paying back these wretches for all the damage they have rained down on our pure Verglas,” Pordis said.

“I am glad to see you made it through your captivity without any injuries.” Rakel raised her hands, and snow started to drift down from the sky—causing shouts of panic from Chosen soldiers.

Armed with the knowledge that Tenebris was going to disrupt their supply caravans, Pordis had volunteered to take a number of her wagons near the medium-sized city of Kiby. It was smaller than Glowma, occupied by the Chosen, and positioned near the Verglas-Kozlovka border.

A number of soldiers and magic users—including Bunny and Phile—had gone with Pordis as her “employees,” and also to serve as her guards in case of violence. As predicted, Chosen forces intercepted them and took them captive. Once they were taken inside Kiby, they waited for dusk to fall, then Phile broke everyone out and opened the city gates, letting Rakel and additional Verglas troops inside.

I think this might be the easiest battle we’ve had so far. All the extra magic users make quite a difference, and having Farrin has greatly improved my ability to fight. It was a wonder how much easier it was to use her magic when she wasn’t always listening for an ambush.

Rakel heard a number of soldiers stomping their direction. She listened for the familiar clink of Verglas armor. Not hearing it, she iced over the street and strewed powdery snow on top of it.

The Chosen soldiers moved from the alley to the street and wiped out.

Rakel raised an eyebrow at Farrin. “Your soldiers would have worn ice cleats.”

“Kavon has been south—out of your reach—and he doesn’t much care about his front lines,” Farrin said. He stalked towards the fallen soldiers like a cat.

Rakel turned her back to him. “His indiscretion is our gain.”

“Indeed.” Pordis tapped her chin. “As it stands, I do believe you will have the Chosen booted from Verglas in another season or two.”

Rakel winced. “It is to be hoped it doesn’t take us that long.”

A rumbling boom made icicles hanging from roofs fall, and the ground shuddered. Rakel staggered and looked in the direction from which the boom had come.

“You think they got out?” Pordis ran her fingers down the flat of her shortsword.

“It is possible,” Rakel said. To keep the Chosen forces from escaping, she had sealed up the city gates with ice, but depending on which of the Chosen magic users were stationed in Kiby, they might be able to break out regardless.

Farrin sheathed his sword. “Should we check?”

“I am reluctant to leave our post,” Rakel said as Bunny—still in her bear body—chased a Chosen soldier past them.

An arrow shrieked. Farrin tapped his speed magic and was in front of Rakel with his sheathed sword raised—though Rakel’s magic had reacted as well and bubbled between the ex-colonel and herself. The arrow bounced off Farrin’s sword.

Farrin held out his hand. “Dagger.”

“It won’t be balanced.” Rakel pressed her lips together in concentration and did her best to forge a dagger that mimicked Foedus.

Farrin gave the ice dagger a wry smile but took it. His grey eyes traced the rooftops. He flicked his wrist, throwing the weapon, and a soldier crouched in the shadows of a two-story home yelped and fell off the roof.

Rakel tried to adjust her hair—Phile had twisted it into another strange, warrior-like braid—and melted the ice on the street when she heard hoof beats.

“Mount up, Little Wolf. We’ve got some runners.” Phile burst on the scene with her horse, Frigid, and a spare horse for Farrin.

“If you’ll excuse us, Lady Pordis. Tollak and Bunny will guard you,” Rakel said.

Pordis waved to the trio. “I understand.”

“Go, go, go.” Phile impatiently turned her horse in a circle.

Rakel balked at mounting Frigid—it was always difficult to climb on top.

“No time—the reindeer won’t be able to keep up,” Farrin said. He grabbed her by the waist and lifted her up onto the spare horse, then mounted up behind her.

“Lady Pordis, if you don’t mind.” Rakel’s voice jarred as the horse started trotting.

“I’ll watch the reindeer for you. Good luck!” Pordis snatched up Frigid’s reins and dragged him up towards the passageway where Tollak hid.

“I apologize, Rakel. The saddle is going to make this uncomfortable,” Farrin said.

“Your poufy dress doesn’t help,” Phile added as they raced down the streets.

“You were the one who made me wear this poufy dress,” Rakel said with gritted teeth.

“You should have argued more,” Phile said factually.

Rakel decided to be magnanimous and ignore the jab. “What happened?”

“One of the soldiers used Frodi’s power against him and lit a keg of firework powder, blowing a hole straight through the wall. Frodi used up so much energy, he got himself knocked out—though Eydìs was trying to shove food in his mouth when I left.”